SAHR Leadership

  • Dr. Charles K. Thodeti, PhD, FAHA, FCVS

    Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology at the University of Toledo, OH.

    PRESIDENT

    Dr. Thodeti’s lab at the University of Toledo explores how mechanical forces drive cardiovascular disease, with a focus on the TRPV4 ion channel in cardiac remodeling, fibrosis, and angiogenesis. He has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles, holds multiple patents, and is funded by the NIH and American Heart Association.

  • Mahmood Khan, PhD, FAHA

    Professor and Division Director
    Division of Basic and Translational Sciences
    Department of Emergency Medicine
    The Ohio State University,Columbus, OH

    TREASURER

    Khan's Lab at The Ohio State University focuses on regenerative medicine and cardiovascular disease, leveraging advanced techniques such as iPS-derived stem cells, extracellular vesicles, bioengineered scaffolds, and novel drug delivery systems to facilitate cardiac repair and wound healing.

  • Danish H. Sayed, M.S., PHD, MBBS

    Associate Professor, Department of Cell Biology & Molecular Medicine, Rutgers University

    SECRETARY

    Dr. Sayed’s research focuses on understanding transcriptional and posttranscriptional basis of gene regulation in the heart using multi-omics approaches to investigate heart failure mechanisms and discover new potential therapeutic targets.

SAHR Executive Committee

  • Suresh Verma, Ph.D.

    Vice-Secretary

    Professor, University of Alabama at Birmingham

  • Venkatesh Sundararajan, M.Pharm., Ph.D.

    Chair, Membership Committee

    Associate Professor, West Virginia University

  • Shubha Gururaja Rao, Ph.D.

    Vice Chair, Membership Committee

    Associate Professor, Ohio Northern University

  • Shyam S Bansal, Ph.D.

    Chair, Program Committee

    Associate Professor, Pennsylvania State University

  • Padmini Sirish, Ph.D.

    Vice Chair, Program Committee

    Adjunct Associate Professor, University of California, Davis

  • Hind Lal, Ph.D.

    Chair, Mentoring Committee

    Professor, University of Alabama at Birmingham

  • Charles Thodeti Ph.D., FAHA, FCVS

    Vice Chair, Mentoring Committee

    Professor, University of Toledo

  • Dhanendra Tomar, Ph.D., FAHA

    Chair, Early Career Committee

    Associate Professor, Wake Forest University

  • Venkata N Srikanth Garikipati, Ph.D., FAHA

    Vice Chair, Early Career Committee

    Assistant Professor, Temple University

  • Viswanathan (Vishwa) Rajagopalan, Ph.D., FAHA, FCVS

    Chair, Communications Committee

    Associate Professor, New York Institute of Technology

  • Narasimman Gurusamy, M.Pharm, Ph.D., FAHA

    Vice Chair, Communications Committee

    Assistant Professor, Nova Southeastern University

  • Rajasekaran Namakkal Soorappan, Ph.D.

    International Liaison

    Associate Professor, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Leadership History

2019

President: Raj Kishore, PhD

Secretary: Susmita Sahoo, PhD

2022

President: Sakthivel Sadayappan, PhD

Secretary: Sumitra Miriyala, PhD

Secretary: Sailaja Paruchuri, PhD

Treasurer: Sathyamangla Prasad, PhD

2024

President: Sathyamangla Prasad, PhD

Secretary: Danish H. Sayed, PhD, MBBS

Treasurer: Mahmood Khan, PhD

2026

President: (Coming soon after election)

Secretary: Danish H. Sayed, PhD, MBBS

Treasurer: Mahmood Khan, PhD

  • Sakthivel Sadayappan, PhD, MBA

    Immediate Past-President

    Professor and Head, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Czarina M. & Humberto S. Lopez Endowed Chair, Associate Director, Sarver Heart Center, Molecular Cardiovascular Research Program, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson

  • Sailaja Paruchuri, PhD, FCVS

    Immediate Past- Secretary

    Professor in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology
    The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Ohio.

  • Raj Kishore, PhD

    Past- President

    Chair, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Laura H. Carnell Professor in Cardiovascular Sciences, Director, Stem Cell Therapy Program, Professor, Medicine, Temple University, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia.

  • Susmita Sahoo, PhD

    Past- Secretary

    Associate Professor of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York.

  • Sumitra Miriyala, PhD, MBA

    Past-Secretary

    Associate Professor of Anatomy
    A.T. Still University-Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine